Gun-wad



(No Model.)

H. W. L IBBEY.

GUN WAD.

No. 341,586. Patented May 11, 1886.

FlG.4-.

FIG.5.

N. PETERS; Plmln'L'lmagnwr, wmin mn. D.C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOSEA IV. LIBBEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

GUN-WA D.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,586, dated May 11, 1886.

Application filed July 31. 1885.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Hosna W. LIBBEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of M assachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gun-\Vads, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a gun'wad by means of which the charge can be tightly compressed, thereby giving a sharper report and more penetrative force, and at the same time clean or scour the interior of the gun-barrel; and the invention consistsin con structing the wad of a disk made of felt, paper, or other suitable material, bent into a convex form and secured to a flat disk of paper or other suitable material by means of a cord, the edge of the flat disk being scalloped so that the scallops can be bent at right angles and fit around the edge of the convex disk, the turned-up portions being coated on their outer surface with some suitable cleaning or scouring material.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a gun-wad ready for use embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross vertical section of the wad after it has been COD'lplCSSQd. Fig. a is a view of the convex portion of the wad, and Fig. 5 isa View of the under side of the flat disk before the scalloped edges are turned up.

A represents a basepiece or flat disk of any suitable material, and made somewhat larger than the bore of the gun, and formed on its edge with scallops a, which are bent up at right angles,so that a convex disk,B,will exactly fit within the turned-up edges, (seeFig. 2, )t-he two being secured together in the center by means of a cord, 0. The edge of the convex disk is cut at an angle, as shown, so that when the wad is compressed, as shown in Fig. 3, the convex disk B will force the scalloped edge of the disk A hard against the barrel of the gun, the diameter of the completed wad, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, being just the size to fit the bore of the barrel.

The outer surface of the scalloped edge of the disk A, I prefer to cover with some suitable cleaning or scouring material-such as a Serial No. [73,192.

(No model.)

composition of emery, grease, and shellacso that when the wad is inserted into the gun, or the gun is fired, its edges coming into con tact with the inside of the barrel will keep it clean.

By this construction of Wad I am enabled to more firmly compress the charge, as when the wad is first inserted the base-picceA rests upon the charge, and by applying pressure to the top of the convex piece B its sides are pressed outward, and the edge I) bears against the inside of the scallops a, forcing them hard against the inside of the barrel, and the edge b acting as a fulcrum the base-piece A is forced onto and compresses the charge.

Some of the advantages of this construction of wad are that the charge is very firmly compressed, thereby giving a sharper report and more penetrative force,while the gun is cleaned every time it is discharged.

I have described the wad as used with a muzzle-loading gun; but it is equally applicable to loading gun cartridges or shells, and, if desired, the cleaning or scouring composition may be omitted, and a fiat disk without scalloped edges may be employed.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A wad consisting 'of the combination of the base-piece A with the convex piece B, the two being secured together by acord, C, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A wad consisting of the base-piece A, provided with a scalloped edge, a, in combination with the convex piece B, the two being secured together by a cord, 0, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. A wad consisting of a base-piece,A,with turned-up edge coated with a suitable cleaning or scouring composition, in combination with the convex piece B, the two being secured together by a cord, O, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HOSEA V. LIBBEY.

\Vitnesses J. H. ADAMS, E. PLANTA. 

